Adventuring
by Sunshine and Sea Monsters
Summary: Aurora goes to a wedding and wonders if someone might save her. Looks like a certain pirate captain is interested. HookxAurora.
1. A Princess No More

The binding of the two kingdoms was inevitable after Prince Philip's return. His bride, his savior, stopped at nothing to bring him back to her, not even letting her companions get in the way of what her heart truly desired. He was her prince after all and she was stubborn.

The marriage of the great general Mulan and the handsome prince was a happy day for everyone in all the kingdoms. Except one.

Princess Aurora sat in the corner of the great hall with a nearly empty goblet of wine and a grimace on her face. She stood out from the grinning monarchs all around her congratulating the happy couple and drinking to their health and future children. Aurora nearly choked when the baron next to her was drunkenly yelling for Philip to take his wife up and properly show her what a prince was supposed to do to a new princess.

Aurora was tempted, but she didn't stab the man with her dinner fork. It just wasn't proper.

With her parents gone and her kingdom left to waste, Aurora seemed to be a princess in look and name only. There was no throne left in the palace in on the Sands. She had no home.

That isn't to say she wasn't provided for; Snow made sure of that. She still had her accomplishments: dancing, drawing, and diplomacy, all of which the "Charmings" put to good use in her position as their diplomat to all the kingdoms. They were great friends, and so were Mulan and Philip, but she still hated it. She hated to feel like she was asleep again, smothered by something she couldn't control.

The baron made another inappropriate comment. Aurora rolled her eyes. It looked like it would be a long night.

"Having fun, 'eh?" a familiar lilting voice whispered behind her. She groaned.

Of course he'd be here. Trust that Killian Jones, Captain Hook would be at a wedding he supposedly wasn't able to attend due to his need to go plundering and pillaging on the seas. She knew he did it to irritate her.

"I'm having a wonderful time," Aurora said lightly, almost sounding happy, but she still looked in front of her, ignoring the hands on her shoulders.

"I know better, Princess."

Aurora turned to face him and was impressed that he didn't look like the ruffian he knew him to be. At least his clothes were presentable for royalty. And clean for the most part.

"So you came," Aurora said standing up and leading him over to a less populated corner of the hall.

Hook smirked, "I did. And to think I would have missed this". He gestured to room that seemed to be encrusted with gold and precious stones.

"What do you want?" Aurora asked, her tone short, "You don't mean to steal anything, do you?" If she knew him as well as she thought she did, Hook did place himself in high society if he wouldn't get anything out of it.

"Well, in fact I do." He replied looking almost bored, clicking his hook back into place. But he looked a bit twitchy glancing around the room, hoping he wasn't noticed.

If Aurora didn't know any better, she would think he was nervous.

"What do you plan on stealing?" she asked. Aurora wasn't very inclined to care. Captain Hook was a pirate and a very good one at that.

He looked her straight in the eye as if searching for a reaction. She stared right back.

"You."

_Oh._ _Well, that certainly changes things._

Aurora chuckled, "So you came to save the damsel in distress from a horrible party. How very _noble_ of you, my dear Captain."

"I've been called worse," he grinned, "What do you say, Princess? Do you want to go on an adventure again?"

She looked him straight in the eye, "What makes you think I want that?"

"Well" he started, "you went on a quest to save your true love, met me, proceeded with a campaign to get me killed, help you friend save the man you thought you loved, and now you're at their wedding. Sounds like quite a time," he drawled.

Hook held out his good hand to her. "Come with me, Aurora."

Aurora now knew she was at a crossroads. Stay here with her dear friends and live a life she was supposed to live, or go with a man she hated and make her own life.

Aurora took his hand and smirked, something she had picked up from the good captain, no doubt.

"As long as you never call me 'Princess' again, we have a deal."

Hook smiled that first smile she had ever seen on his weather beaten face. It surprised her how much she liked it.

"Alright, _Princess_."

She groaned. This was going to be one long adventure.


	2. The Black Harpy

_HI ALL! I'm sorry I've been away for so long. I'm much more active over on AO3 and I forgot about . So here I am. Sorry I neglected you :(_

_This is a planned series of one-shots collected under the name "Adventuring" (Changed the title here to better reflect that)._

_So without further ado..._

* * *

The raucous laughter, the extremely well endowed bar wenches, the beer and rum that kept the tavern's patrons coming, and the banging of the floorboards above that made them stay the night made the Black Harpy one of the best taverns this side of the Enchanted Forest.

_Gods I love this place._

To be fair, Hook only came to the The Black Harpy just to make the princess uncomfortable in her lovely blue gown she had worn for the wedding. The rum and the willing women were enough to sway him, but the uncomfortable look on her face made it worth the effort.

She had wanted an adventure and Hook was sure to provide one.

"Another round!" He yelled to a passing barmaid, who gave him a wink.

"Anything for you, Captain," her eyes traveled over his frame, "_anything_ you'd like."

Hook chuckled. He could feel Aurora's glare burning through him. He was finally about to have some fun.

"Anything you say, my dear? You sure you can handle it?" Hook grinned his filthiest grin. The bar maid looked like she was about to go to heaven.

"A rum, please." A soft voice muttered to his left.

_Aurora wanted rum? Was the wine terrible? _He made a mental note to check when her back was turned. The wine wasn't too bad last time he had been here...

The bar maid was still wantonly staring at him and Hook was amused by the frustration boiling under the surface of the princess. _His _princess.

He shook his head. That was one thing he shouldn't be thinking about at the moment.

"Rum. NOW!" The royal voice left no room for argument.

The wench shook her head out of her lustful stupor. "Right away, milady," she said quickly and hurried back to the bar giving one last longing look back to the pirate.

Hook sat relaxed on the bench. His men were talking amongst themselves, some with girls on their knees and others with, others with tankards or bottles in their hands. On a typical day, Hook would've had both, right now he _needed _both, but the woman he wanted to touch and make his seven ways to Sunday didn't want him now. But she would eventually, he was certain.

_Dammit_, _I'm not drunk enough for this. _

Aurora let a rather undignified snort. "She's your type, Hook?" she asked.

He turned his head. He hadn't realized he had been staring in the general direction of the very busty barmaid who had been making eyes at him all night.

Hook looked straight into her eyes. Aurora's face was a bit pinched as if she wasn't incredibly amused at the prospect of Hook's romantic rendezvous with a wench. It was quite easy to read. In general she was hard to read, but when it came to him, her feelings were always clear. She was jealous.

Hook smirked and raised and eyebrow. "Green with envy aren't you, Princess?"

She rolled her eyes. "Hook, our deal was-"

He cut her off. "I'll call you whatever I like. I _did_ say I'd think about it and I did." Aurora didn't looked too pleased, but he continued anyway. "I was about to say, if you're worried about your chest, I'll have you know I have a preference for women who are a bit more easier to handle if you know what I mean." He made a point to leer at her breasts for a second. And what a fine pair they were.

Hook and Aurora stared at each other. She was at a loss for words and he looked smug. _Incredibly_ smug.

"You're drunk. You don't mean that," Aurora said and looked forward to where Smee was curled up snoring on the table. _So this was how she wanted to play_.

"I only had four glasses of rum, Princess. That's not enough for me to lose my ability to appreciate beauty, which, my dear, you have in spades."

A blush started to climb up Aurora's luscious white neck, but she still looked forward taking a small sip of her wine.

They both stayed awkwardly silent for the next couple of moments (which was new for him) as the barmaid returned with another round of rum. As she sent down the last glass in front of him, she bent down and whispered in his ear what room she'd be in and what she'd be wearing. She said it loud enough for Aurora to hear.

"I'll be upstairs in the Pearl Room in nothin' but what Mother Nature gave me. What do you say?"

She kissed him on the cheek. "I don't mind an incomplete man."

Hook was used to the attention as a man without a hand. To be quite fair, he hadn't taken a woman to bed after he lost his hand and gained a hook. The statement from a barwench he could take, so he simply shrugged it off and let her walk away.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hook could see Aurora grip the rum glass in her hand tightly. She took a long swig, stood up and a followed the barmaid to the other side of the room. Aurora tapped her on the shoulder and the woman turned around.

"What did you say?" Aurora questioned loud enough for the Tavern patrons nearby to hear.

The room suddenly hushed waiting for the barmaid's response. She kept silent.

"An incomplete man, you said."

_She was defending him? A Princess defending a pirate?_ That was almost laughable, but Hook could only watch Aurora.

The barmaid nodded. "I did, miss. I meant no offense." She looked over to Hook, who wasn't staring at her at all.

Aurora looked back at him and pointed, "That man is one of the best men I have ever known, as much as he and I would like to deny it. And you just called him half a man. And you expect to have him afterwards? Paid no doubt…"

The barmaid let out a sharp gasp. "Now I'm no tart, miss, I have a proper job-"

Aurora let out a loud sigh, "Enough. What's your name?"

"Nellie, miss."

Aurora stood as tall as she could, her hair cascading down her back and her shoulders back. She looked every inch of princess that she was and she was beautiful. And defending a man she had every reason to hate. Hook was intrigued.

"Nellie, I'll have you know that, _my _Captain is as much more of man than anyone in this room and if you so much as try to get paid for a tumble with him, you'll have to answer to me," Aurora growled out her threat.

Nellie scoffed. "Who are you to defend him? His sister, no doubt? Everyone knows Cap'n Hook only beds, never weds."

This was getting better and better by the minute. Hook didn't even realize he was truly smiling until his cheeks began to twinge.

"I am a Princess of the Sands and I will have some respect. I'm not some common…trollop!"

Hook could hear a pin drop. Here was his cue.

He stood up and made his way to the bar, everyone in the tavern watching him as he went towards the two women glaring at each other.

"Ladies."

They turned to look at him, the barmaid looking sheepish and Aurora glaring at all in her path.

He addressed the barmaid first, "I suggest you go to the back before my princess decides to have you killed."

Then he turned slowly to Aurora, bringing himself to his full height, "Now, I'm going to take you upstairs to the…" he looked at the barmaid, "Pearl Room, was it?"

She nodded.

"Yes, the Pearl Room. And have you till the sun comes up. What do you say Princess?"

The entire Tavern was in an uproar of applause and cat calls.

Hook grinned his pirate grin that made all ladies swoon. All ladies except one.

"I'm going back to the ship, Captain. I'll leave you to your…entertainments," Aurora said prissily and walked straight out the door into the night.

He ran out to catch up with her.

He may not have been a hero in the tavern, but gods be damned, if she ever got hurt when he was close by.

_So much for not being Prince Charming…_

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Hope to see you in the next installment. That will be coming soon. Promise. _

_Let me know what you think :D_


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